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should lead them into indolence through these 62.493 things, and, thinking that everything is of God, they themselves might sleep, see how he also requires cooperation from them, saying: But we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you both do and will do the things we command. God is faithful, then, he says, and having promised to save, He will surely save, but as He promised. How then did He promise? If we are willing, and if we listen to Him; not simply, nor as being idle like wood and stones. And he well put, We have confidence in the Lord, that is, We trust in His loving-kindness. Again he brings them down, suspending everything on Him. For if he had said, "We trust you," the praise would have been great, but he would not have shown them to depend on God for everything; but if he had said, "We have confidence in the Lord, that He will keep you," and had not added "concerning you," and, "the things we commanded, you both do and will do," he would have made them more idle, casting everything upon the power of God. For one must cast everything upon Him, but while also being active oneself, having embarked on labors and struggles. And he shows here that even if virtue alone is sufficient to save, yet it must be enduring, and be with us until we come to our last breath. Now may the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the patience of Christ. He praises them again, and prays, showing his care. For since he is about to enter into a reproof, with these things he prepares their hearts, by saying, "I am confident that you will listen," and by asking for prayers from them, and again by praying for a myriad of good things for them: Now may the Lord direct your, he says, hearts to the love of God. For there are many things that turn one aside from love, and many paths that lead away from there. And first, the evil of mammon, like some shameless hands it lays upon our soul, and seizing it firmly, it drags and pulls us away from there even when we are unwilling; then vainglory, and often tribulations and temptations have overturned us. For this reason we need the help of God as some spirit, so that our sail may be carried, as by some strong wind, toward the love of God. For do not tell me, "I love Him even more than myself;" these are words; show by deeds if you love Him more than yourself. Love Him more than money, and then I believe that you also love Him more than yourself. For he who does not despise money for God's sake, how will you despise yourself? But what am I saying, money? He who does not despise covetousness, which one ought to do even without the commands of God, how will you despise yourself? And to the patience, he says, of Christ. What is, To the patience? So that we might endure as He endured, or so that we might do those things, or also so that we might await Him with patience, that is, so that we might be prepared. For since He has promised many things, and He Himself is coming to judge the living and the dead, let us await Him and endure. And wherever he speaks of patience, he certainly alludes to tribulation; for this is to love God, to endure and not to be troubled. Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which they received from us. That is, not we say these things, but Christ; for this is what 'In the name 62.494 of our Lord Jesus Christ' means. By saying this, he shows the fearsomeness of the command. "Through Christ," he says, "we command." Therefore Christ has nowhere commanded to be idle. That you withdraw, he says, from every brother. Do not tell me of the rich man, do not tell me of the poor man, do not tell me of the holy man; this is disorder. Walking, he says, that is, living. And not according to the tradition which they received from us. He means the tradition through works; and he always properly calls this 'tradition.' For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us,

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διὰ τού 62.493 των εἰς ῥᾳθυμίαν ἀγάγῃ, καὶ τὸ πᾶν τοῦ Θεοῦ νομίσαντες εἶναι αὐτοὶ καθεύδωσιν, ὅρα πῶς καὶ τὴν παρ' αὐτῶν συνεργίαν ἀπαιτεῖ, λέγων· Πεποίθαμεν δὲ ἐν Κυρίῳ ἐφ' ὑμᾶς, ὅτι ἃ παραγγέλλομεν, καὶ ποιεῖτε καὶ ποιήσετε. Πιστὸς μὲν οὖν ἐστι, φησὶν, ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ ἐπαγγελλόμενος σῶσαι, πάντως σώσει, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐπηγγείλατο. Πῶς δὲ ἐπηγγείλατο; Ἐὰν θέλωμεν, καὶ ἀκούωμεν αὐτοῦ· οὐχ ἁπλῶς, οὐδὲ, ὡς ξύλα καὶ λίθους, ἀργοῦντας. Καλῶς δὲ καὶ τὸ, Πεποίθαμεν ἐν Κυρίῳ, τέθεικε, τουτέστι, Τῇ φιλανθρωπίᾳ αὐτοῦ πιστεύομεν. Πάλιν αὐτοὺς καθαιρεῖ, τὸ πᾶν ἀναρτῶν, ἐκεῖ. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ εἶπεν, ὅτι Πιστεύομεν δὲ ὑμῖν, ἦν μὲν τὸ ἐγκώμιον μέγα, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν ἔδειξεν αὐτοὺς ἐξαρτᾷν εἰς τὸν Θεὸν ἅπαντα· εἰ δὲ εἶπε, Πεποίθαμεν δὲ ἐν Κυρίῳ, ὅτι φυλάξει ὑμᾶς, καὶ μὴ προστέθεικε τὸ Ἐφ' ὑμᾶς, καὶ τὸ, Ἃ παρηγγείλαμεν ποιεῖτε καὶ ποιήσετε, ἀργοτέρους ἂν αὐτοὺς ἐποίησε, τὸ πᾶν ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ ῥίψας δύναμιν. ∆εῖ μὲν γὰρ τὸ πᾶν ἐπ' αὐτὸν ῥίπτειν, ἀλλ' ἐνεργοῦντας καὶ αὐτοὺς, τοῖς πόνοις ἐμβεβηκότας καὶ τοῖς ἀγῶσι. Καὶ δείκνυσιν ἐνταῦθα, ὅτι εἰ καὶ ἀρκεῖ ἡ ἀρετὴ καὶ μόνη σῶσαι, ἀλλ' ὅμως χρὴ διαρκῆ τε αὐτὴν εἶναι, καὶ μέχρι τοῦ ἐλθεῖν ἡμᾶς εἰς ἐσχάτας ἀναπνοὰς ἡμῖν συμπαρεῖναι. Ὁ δὲ Κύριος κατευθύναι ὑμῶν τὰς καρδίας εἰς τὴν ἀγάπην τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ εἰς τὴν ὑπομονὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ἐγκωμιάζει πάλιν αὐτοὺς, καὶ εὔχεται, τὴν κηδεμονίαν αὐτοῦ δεικνύς. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ μέλλει ἐμβαίνειν εἰς ἐπιτίμησιν, τούτοις αὐτῶν προλεαίνει τὰς καρδίας, τῷ τε λέγειν, ὅτι Θαῤῥῶ ὅτι ἀκούσεσθε, καὶ τῷ παρ' αὐτῶν εὐχὰς ἀπαιτεῖν, καὶ τῷ πάλιν αὐτοῖς ἐπεύχεσθαι μυρία ἀγαθά· Ὁ δὲ Κύριος κατευθύναι ὑμῶν, φησὶ, τὰς καρδίας εἰς τὴν ἀγάπην τοῦ Θεοῦ. Πολλὰ γάρ ἐστι τὰ παρεκτρέποντα ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης, καὶ πολλαὶ αἱ ἐκεῖθεν ἐξέλκουσαι ἀτραποί. Καὶ πρῶτον μὲν ἡ τοῦ μαμωνᾶ κακία, καθάπερ τινὰς ἀναισχύντους χεῖρας ἐπαφιεῖσα ἡμῶν τῇ ψυχῇ, καὶ ἀπρὶξ ἐπιλαβομένη, ἕλκει καὶ σύρει καὶ μὴ βουλομένους ἐκεῖθεν· ἔπειτα κενοδοξία, καὶ θλίψεις δὲ πολλάκις καὶ πειρασμοὶ περιέτρεψαν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καθάπερ τινὸς πνεύματος τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δεόμεθα βοηθείας, ἵνα ἡμῖν τὸ ἱστίον ὥσπερ ὑπό τινος σφοδροῦ πνεύματος παραπεμφθῇ πρὸς τὴν ἀγάπην τοῦ Θεοῦ. Μὴ γάρ μοι εἴπῃς, ὅτι Ἀγαπῶ αὐτὸν καὶ ὑπὲρ ἐμαυτόν· ταῦτα ῥήματά ἐστι· διὰ τῶν ἔργων δεῖξον, εἰ ἀγαπᾷς αὐτὸν ὑπὲρ σεαυτόν. Ὑπὲρ τὸ ἀργύριον ἀγάπησον, καὶ τότε πιστεύω ὅτι καὶ ὑπὲρ σεαυτὸν ἀγαπᾷς· ὁ δὲ χρημάτων μὴ καταφρονῶν διὰ τὸν Θεὸν, πῶς σαυτοῦ καταφρονήσεις; Τί δὲ λέγω χρημάτων; ὁ πλεονεξίας μὴ καταφρονῶν, Ὁ καὶ χωρὶς τῶν ἐπιταγμάτων τοῦ Θεοῦ ἔδει ποιεῖν, πῶς καταφρονήσεις σαυτοῦ; Καὶ εἰς τὴν ὑπομονὴν, φησὶν, τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Τί ἐστιν, Εἰς τὴν ὑπομονήν; Ἵνα ὑπομένωμεν, ὡς ἐκεῖνος ὑπέμεινεν, ἢ ἵνα ἐκεῖνα πράττωμεν, ἢ καὶ ἵνα μεθ' ὑπομονῆς ἀναμένωμεν αὐτὸν, τουτέστιν, ἵνα ἐμπαράσκευοι ὦμεν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πολλὰ ἐπηγγείλατο, καὶ αὐτὸς ἔρχεται κρῖναι ζῶντας καὶ νεκροὺς, ἀναμένωμεν αὐτὸν καὶ ὑπομένωμεν. Ἔνθα δὲ ἂν ὑπομονὴν λέγῃ, πάντως θλῖψιν αἰνίττεται· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν ἀγαπᾷν τὸν Θεὸν, τὸ ὑπομένειν, καὶ μὴ θορυβεῖσθαι. Παραγγέλλομεν δὲ ὑμῖν, ἀδελφοὶ, ἐν ὀνόματι τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, στέλλεσθαι ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ παντὸς ἀδελφοῦ ἀτάκτως περιπατοῦντος, καὶ μὴ κατὰ τὴν παράδοσιν, ἣν παρέλαβον παρ' ἡμῶν. Τουτέστιν, οὐχ ἡμεῖς ταῦτα λέγομεν, ἀλλ' ὁ Χριστός· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν, Ἐν ὀνό 62.494 ματι τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Οὕτως εἰπὼν, τὸ φοβερὸν τῆς παραγγελίας δείκνυσι. ∆ιὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, φησὶ, παραγγέλλομεν. Οὐκ ἄρα ὁ Χριστὸς προσέταξεν οὐδαμοῦ ἀργεῖν. Στέλλεσθαι ὑμᾶς, φησὶν, ἀπὸ παντὸς ἀδελφοῦ. Μή μοι τὸν πλούσιον εἴπῃς, μή μοι τὸν πένητα, μή μοι τὸν ἅγιον· τοῦτο ἀταξία ἐστί. Περιπατοῦντος, φησὶ, τουτέστι, βιοῦντος. Καὶ μὴ κατὰ τὴν παράδοσιν, ἣν παρέλαβον παρ' ἡμῶν. Παράδοσιν τὴν διὰ τῶν ἔργων φησί· καὶ κυρίως ταύτην ἀεὶ λέγει παράδοσιν. Αὐτοὶ γὰρ οἴδατε πῶς δεῖ μιμεῖσθαι ἡμᾶς,